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Krísuvíkurberg

From the road on the south shore leading to Grindavík (427) east of the large lava Ögmundarhraun that surfaced some 300 years after the years of settlement in Iceland, about 800 years ago. The landscape seems like a flat land with classical vegetation. A kind of a flat morse ending by the seashore. But if you take the turn on the rather difficult track to Krísuvíkurberg, you will see dramatic changes. Krísuvíkurberg is a 6-kilometer wide cliff south on the coastline of Reykjanes Peninsula. Although not particularly high, around 50 to 70 meters, it is an impressive sight as it stretches along the coastline. The cliff is a home to tens of thousands of birds and is a spectacular geological phenomenon.

Krísuvíkurberg seen from Húshólmi and Ögmundarhraun lava field

Krísuvíkurberg has interesting layers of lava molded by the ocean

The cliff is a wall that the mighty Atlantic Ocean has molded with its enduring force for thousands of years. The cliff was originally formed by blankets of layers of lava that accumulated on top of each other thousands of years ago in many different eruptions. Contrary to the lava Ögmundarhraun these eruptions surfaced long before historical times. A process that can only be explained on a geological timeline. The layers are visible on the wall with different colors as they represent a different time and different kind of magma and lava. There are up to 10 different layers on the east part of Krísuvíkurbjarg and around five on the west side. It is a monument of Natures ability to form various patters in thousands of years for us to enjoy and photograph.

Krísuvíkurberg also has its part in the Icelandic folklore

There are not many places where boats can land to access the land. But in the early 17th century, the Turks invaded Iceland and abducted hundreds of people and sold them to slavery. One of the landing places was at Krísuvíkurberg, and the steps where they came up was called Ræningjastígur, or Bandits path. Fortunately, they only managed to kill one woman before they got into a fight between themselves with fatal consequences. According to Icelandic folklore, their disagreement was a spell from a priest who saw them approaching, and thus saved his people.